Kariya Looks to Make Stanley Cup Mark

Published 12:00 am, Wednesday, June 4, 2003

After a regular season in which the speedy Anaheim forward had 25 goals and a team-high 81 points, the stats haven't been there in the playoffs. He entered the finals against New Jersey with five goals and three assists. Going into Game 5 Thursday night, those numbers are still the same.

"He's got goals in the playoffs," coach Mike Babcock said Wednesday. "The reality is, it's tight checking and guys are under big-time scrutiny."

The Ducks were shut out by the Devils in each of their opening two losses of the finals. Kariya was virtually a nonfactor, mustering one shot in the first game and none in the second.

When the series shifted to Anaheim, the Ducks began looking more like themselves on and off the ice _ if not on the scoresheet. They won twice in overtime to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2 on goals that mostly came from players who normally don't contribute much on offense.

"Our fourth line wins us a game, and our third line wins us a game. That's very positive," Kariya said. "The top two lines have to continue playing well defensively. Scoring chances and the goals will come."

Kariya got three shots on goalie Martin Brodeur in Game 3 and two more in Game 4.

"We just have to create more scoring chances," he said.

The temptation might be to push the envelope to generate offense, but opening up the game is a very risky proposition. In a series that has featured only 12 goals in four games, a defensive breakdown could lead to a goal that is decisive.

When the Ducks had to forgo their defensive style after falling behind in the first two games, they played right into the Devils' hands. New Jersey is always opportunistic and managed to turn one- and two-goal leads into three.

"We can't take any risks out there," Kariya said. "We have to be smart defensively, move the puck up the boards, take what they give us."

The Ducks had 16 shots in each of the first two road games. That turned into 33 and 26 during the contests in Anaheim. Now the Western Conference champions have to find a way to get the ice tilted in their direction on the road.

"I think we are a little bit more comfortable," goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere said. "Some of the guys might not feel comfortable playing in the Stanley Cup finals. I think we saw in the third and fourth game that if we bring our game and our legs to the rink, we'll be able to have a chance to be successful."